Goddess Kaleidoscope

In front of Hamilton, Ludd began to introduce some of his ideas and methods in the field of medicine. Although on Earth he might not even be qualified to be a barefoot doctor in a rural area, his concepts were at least hundreds of years ahead of those here, so he spoke with great confidence and authority.

While Hamilton, like most priests, was ignorant of medicine, as a top-tier magician, he could be considered a "high-level intellectual" in this world. Therefore, although he might not fully understand what Rudd was saying, he could still grasp some of it. Thus, he quickly realized that the poorly dressed old priest in front of him might actually have some knowledge, so he couldn't help but ask.

"Which religious sect do you belong to?"

"The Medicine God Cult".

"Never heard of it!"

"It's just a small, little-known sect, but since the one we worship is called God through medicine, healing the sick and saving lives is our duty as believers. Moreover, our doctrine requires us to care for the physical and emotional well-being of our patients. So, as long as the patient requests it and the circumstances allow, we will not disclose any information about the patient's condition to the outside world."

After Ludd finished speaking, he smiled and looked at Hamilton, confident that the other had grasped the key points of his words. Hamilton, after much hesitation, finally softened his initially resistant attitude.

"Then, I'll have to trouble you, sir."

End of this chapter

Because of Ludd's seemingly sincere attitude, Hamilton eventually began to cooperate with the treatment, revealing the cause and process of his relapse.

Last month, Hamilton passed through the town of Unos and was warmly received by the local lord and his family. Hearing that he loved spicy food, they brought out several spices from a distant land and made him a very flavorful spicy meat soup.

Hamilton thoroughly enjoyed the meal. He had a lifelong love for spicy food and had never tasted anything so intensely spicy. Ignoring his disciples' advice, he drank heartily and enjoyed himself immensely. After the meal, he even asked the city lord and his wife for the seeds of these spices, intending to find someone to plant some when he got back.

As a result, the old monk's excessive joy turned to sorrow because he couldn't control his mouth. That very night, he suffered retribution and experienced an unprecedented tingling sensation while defecating, feeling as if someone had cast a fire-based forbidden spell on his private parts.

This meal caused Hamilton to suffer for more than half a month. He took medicine and consulted local priests in Unos, but it only provided very limited relief for his symptoms. His condition was worse than ever before.

Based on Hamilton's description of the spices, Ludde deduced that there should be chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. These seasonings, which are very common in the eyes of Earthlings, were only heard of by others for the first time in more than a year since Ludde's transmigration. Otherwise, he would have thought that they were not available here.

Hamilton's illness can be simply attributed to his "loud talk," or even described as "serves him right"!

Knowing full well that he had anorectal problems, he still couldn't control his cravings and insisted on eating spicy food—a textbook example of self-destructive behavior. While the priest's treatment methods certainly had their issues, his indiscriminate consumption of raw and cold foods meant that, in every sense of the word, no ordinary person could cure him!

However, considering that the patient in front of him was at the peak of mortal power, even with the debuff from hemorrhoids, this half-baked priest was still far from being his opponent. Lude did not really say what he was thinking to his face. The imbalance of power forced the doctor-patient relationship to remain harmonious.

"Priest, is there really a cure for my illness?"

“Theoretically… yes, that’s true! But if I may be frank, your dietary habits are also one of the main factors that cause the recurrence of your condition. Couldn’t you restrain yourself a little and eat a lighter diet?”

"I... this is my only hobby in this life. If I can't eat it, wouldn't that be worse than death?"

"Isn't your current state worse than death?"

"Uh……"

Speechless for a moment after being asked by Lud, Lud scratched his face awkwardly.

"Alright! I'll treat your illness first, and we can talk about dietary restrictions later. Come on! Please lie down and lift your buttocks up."

"Wait! What are you doing?"

"Of course, it's to see a doctor!"

"Then why are you looking at my butt?"

"If there's something wrong with your butt, of course we should look at your butt. What good would it do me to look at your face?"

It was clear that Hamilton was very resistant to having his buttocks seen, and Ludd learned through further questioning that although the old man had consulted some pharmacists, he had always used oral medications and refused to use any ointments that needed to be applied directly to the affected area.

Upon learning this, Ludwig was even more speechless.

"Alright, just lie down first. Don't worry, you don't need to take your pants off."

Thanks to numerous experiments that ignored Aina's protests, Lud discovered many wonderful uses of divine magic through his own exploration. This skill could obviously be used to develop many highly efficient healing methods if the user puts more effort into studying it. However, most priests, under the guidance of their predecessors, simply follow the old methods passed down from the older generation of priests.

However, this is not incomprehensible, since not all priests are like Rudd, who can drain their gods dry without limit on the number of uses.

Urged repeatedly by Ludd, Hamilton finally reluctantly lay down on the cushion. Ludd first used a probe spell derived from a Holy Healing spell, with thin beams of light emanating from his palm, penetrating through clothes and flesh to reach Hamilton's affected area.

As a great mage, the old man was naturally very sensitive to the direct intrusion of such divine energy. Although it didn't hurt, the feeling was very strange. Lude, on the other hand, was so shocked by what the divine magic had revealed that he couldn't put into words.

"Holy crap! This isn't a human butt!"

Judging from the results of the investigation, the old magician's condition had become so serious that even the best proctologist in Sichuan on Earth would find it difficult to treat. Fortunately, the investigation technique was not a speculum and did not involve direct visual observation, otherwise Lud would have vomited.

"This is going to be a huge job right from the start!"

Wiping the sweat from his brow, Lude began to use divine magic to heal the wound. The method involved concentrating his mind to control his divine power and performing a minimally invasive surgery on the affected area. The tendrils of light that penetrated deep into the old mage's body would first release holy light to burn away the hemorrhoids and ulcerated flesh, and then use a miniature holy healing spell to instantly repair the wound, restoring the body to health.

Such a miraculous surgery is something that exists on Earth, but the corresponding technology has not yet been developed. On the other side, however, the technology to achieve this effect exists, but no one in this world has the concept of it.

Under Lude's skillful manipulation, the old mage's tattered rectum was repaired piece by piece. Feeling the long-lost comfort, the old man's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he even subconsciously let out a groan.

"Oh! Ouch! A little more in... Yes, yes..."

"Master, I'm concentrating, could you please be quiet?"

The entire "surgery" lasted about thirty minutes, leaving Lud exhausted and drenched in sweat. The divine power he expended far exceeded that of a normal healing spell, and if nothing unexpected happened, Aina would soon be protesting to him again.

The moment the surgery was completed, Ludd and Hamilton almost simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. The old mage could sense without being asked that this treatment was far superior to any of the previous ones; it wasn't just a temporary relief of pain, but a feeling of complete relaxation.

Therefore, when Hamilton got up again, his attitude and tone of voice towards Ludd became noticeably more polite.

"Incredible! Your Highness, your healing methods have truly broadened my horizons. They far surpass those of the Pope of the Holy Light Church. Please forgive my initial rudeness. I am Hamilton, the chief archmage of the Three-Person Tower. May I ask your name?"

"Lud, a priest from the far east."

End of this chapter

Although Hamilton's ass was completely cured, Lude still reminded him that he didn't expect him to completely give up his love of spicy food, but he had to change his previous bad eating habits and control them to some extent, otherwise these old problems would come back soon.

Faced with Lud's advice, the old magician repeatedly agreed, saying he would definitely change. But Lud glanced at the young apprentice beside him, whose expression showed no disbelief in his mentor, and didn't hold out much hope.

To express his gratitude to Ludd for "saving his life," Hamilton immediately pulled out a whole box of gold coins from the carriage, saying he wanted to give it to Ludd as a reward. He also promised to owe Ludd a favor and do him a favor unconditionally in the future, as long as it was within his power.

Ludd was quite satisfied with the outcome. To demonstrate his noble and compassionate medical ethics, Ludd insisted on accepting only five gold coins as payment for the treatment, refusing any more. After all, Hamilton's status was undeniable; gaining his friendship was a worthwhile deal.

However, Lud suddenly remembered that the other party had mentioned before that he had obtained some spice seeds from the Lord of Unos. As a transmigrator from the Celestial Empire, Lud was a foodie himself and had long wanted to improve his current diet.

Songshu Village is located on the border, and the salt they use is all mineral salt. There are only a few kinds of seasonings available for cooking, so the local cuisine is very light.

So Lude subtly revealed that he was also a big fan of spicy food and wanted to get some seeds from Hamilton. Upon hearing that they shared the same taste, the old magician readily gave him half.

And so, the two old men got off the car chatting and laughing. When Jie Gang, who was waiting outside, saw their rosy cheeks and brotherly expressions, he couldn't help but feel a little curious about what had happened in the car earlier.

"Master, are you... feeling better?"

"Alright! All healed! Today was truly a pleasant surprise. It made everyone respect this real master. Amazing, truly amazing!"

Hamilton exclaimed "amazing!" several times, a hearty smile on his face, his steps light as if he were about to take flight! Jegan and the others exchanged bewildered glances, but since Hamilton had said so, this simply dressed old priest must be a reclusive master!

That evening, Hamilton and his party stayed in the village, while at the temple, Ludd and Hume were summarizing the intelligence they had gathered that day.

While treating Hamilton during the day, Lude failed to glean any information from him about the purpose of their journey to the kingdom's border. However, Hume managed to learn from a young knight who was trying to impress her that their goal was to enter the Void Forest. Had Hamilton not suddenly fallen ill and been delayed in Unos for some time, they might already be on their way back.

"Why do you specifically choose to enter the forest after winter has begun?"

"It's probably for some kind of high-level monster, otherwise Hamilton wouldn't be here."

"Monster?"

The so-called "monsters," according to this world's understanding, are actually wild animals that have mutated due to the influence of magical elements. Most exist as solitary individuals, while a few with reproductive capabilities form colonies; they are not independent species.

Simply put, just like magicians among humans, they become monsters because they possess superior aptitude to use magic.

It is worth mentioning that a few non-humanoid advanced intelligent beings were once categorized as monsters by humans. The most typical example of this is the dragon race. These scaled creatures are outside the norm and possess many special abilities that ordinary creatures do not have.

Since arriving in Pine Tree Village, Lude has seen some creatures that resemble monsters wandering around the wasteland on the outskirts of the village. They have exaggeratedly flamboyant appearances that remind people of "punk aristocrats".

Hume told Rudd that, under normal circumstances, large, high-level monsters would choose to hibernate in winter to reduce their own consumption. Humans take advantage of this characteristic and specifically target those high-level monsters in winter, taking advantage of their reduced activity during hibernation.

The Silver Wing Knights who came were all experts, and with Hamilton, the "Breaking Army Mage" who was famous for his powerful fireball magic, the target they wanted to deal with was definitely not an ordinary nobody.

Having roughly deduced these people's goals, Ludwig and Hume both felt that it was best to be cautious and avoid interfering. These people were far stronger than they were now, and there was no conflict of interest between them. Carefully escorting them out of the country would be enough to complete their mission.

However, despite the good idea, fate was not on their side.

The next morning, Ludwig got out of bed and opened the window to find a heavy snowfall outside; it had snowed almost half a meter deep overnight.

With this awful weather, Hamilton obviously can't leave!

Left with no other choice, Hamilton and his knights had to stay in the village and patiently wait for the weather to improve.

During this time, they were surprised to find that the village actually had a public bathhouse, a public facility that even small and medium-sized towns might not have. Furthermore, the villagers were all followers of the Medicine God Cult, and their piety was astonishing. They were amazed that they didn't stay home in this terrible weather, but instead braved the heavy snow to walk to the temple more than a hundred meters from their homes to pray. This made them quite curious.

That white-bearded old priest is clearly quite powerful, yet he willingly stays in such a small mountain village. Just who is he?

With these questions in mind, Hamilton and Jegan decided to go check out the temple. It wasn't far anyway, and one was strong and healthy, while the other possessed magic and was immune to the cold, so they simply headed out.

However, when the two arrived at the temple, they did not see a solemn religious ceremony. The hall was warm and bright, with villagers sitting on benches chatting quietly and relaxed. In the front row, a group of children were listening attentively to the old priest's lecture.

The arrival of the two immediately attracted the attention of the villagers, who all stood up and bowed to the knight and the magician, while the two were still immersed in the astonishment that the temple had brought them.

An old priest of unfathomable power but extremely low profile was teaching a group of farmers' children to read. This was the first time Hamilton and Jegan had ever witnessed such an incredible scene in their lives, and they became even more interested in Lud and his "strange" cult.

End of this chapter

Inside the temple hall, the children of Pine Village listened attentively to Rud's lesson. The official language of the Kingdom of Duran was the ancient Luan script, which was also the most widely used language and script on the continent, thus possessing high universality.

Ludd initially set low standards for the children's education, requiring them to memorize ten words a day. Once they had accumulated a certain number of words, he would then teach them more advanced vocabulary and sentence construction. In addition to basic reading and writing, Ludd also taught other subjects such as mathematics and basic physics and chemistry.

In the process of imparting this knowledge, Ludwig was also observing the learning abilities of each child. He planned to select the most intelligent ones to take under his wing and train them into a new generation of priests with knowledge, ideals, and a correct moral compass.

Ludd was in the middle of a lesson when he suddenly saw the Archmage Hamilton and Captain Jegan enter from outside. Ludd merely glanced up at them, gave them a slight nod, and then refocused on his teaching.

Hamilton and Jegan listened in from the back for a while. Professor Ludd's lesson wasn't anything special; it was just a regular literacy class. Therefore, based on their understanding, they assumed that Ludd was trying to select a few bright children from among the farmers' kids to take on as apprentices.

However, the two were both right and wrong. Lu De did want to select a few smart children as apprentices, but his initial idea was to promote "basic education" in Pine Village and give the children the power to change their destiny.

However, given the current state of the world, only a very small number of professions require literacy. Therefore, reading and writing are considered secondary skills. People at the bottom of society tend to learn a trade that can earn a living or simply learn martial arts and join the army. After all, earning a noble title through military merit is always one of the fastest and most effective ways to improve one's social class in this era.

Jegan's family followed this path. His father had served as a squire to the royal guards of Earl Ramley. As a result, Jegan was chosen by the previous Earl to serve as a squire to his eldest son when he was very young. After the current Earl succeeded to the throne, Jegan naturally rose to become a formal knight of the Earl's territory, steadily working his way up to where he is today.

In contrast, Hamilton came from a family of wizards, and he certainly knew that literacy was important, but that was only true for wizards like them. For those without magical talent, being illiterate was not a problem.

Fortunately, the two did not interrupt Ludwig's lecture, but patiently waited for him to finish before approaching him to speak.